Happy Monday! Once again it's been a bit since I've posted on here. But I am learning to accept that posting consistently simply doesn't work with my life right now. The world hasn't ended yet :). I am definitely more active on Instagram, but I will continue to build the blog because #careergoals.

Some life updates before we begin:1) This weekend I am heading to Chicago for FNCE!!For my non-RD friends, FNCE (Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo) is an annual national conference for registered dietitians to basically come together and learn, network, and the come home with tons of snack samples. Literally tons.Last year was my first year working as an RD and I was lucky that FNCE was close to home in Boston. I got to go and although it was a great time, I was overwhelmed with how much interacting we had to do. I am definitely an introverted extrovert. I can only take so much conversation before I just want to be in a room by myself. This year I organized myself a little better by planning out my schedule and started getting mentally ready for it all. I can't wait to catch up with my dietetic internship friends, meet Instagram friends in person, and connect with some pretty badass RDs. Also eat authentic deep dish pizza. #priorities

2) If you didn't know this already, my family is from Brazil. I visited my extended family there pretty frequently growing up and at the beginning of college, but it has been FIVE years since I've been back.It's been a long time coming but we finally bought our tickets to go back this winter :) We are leaving on December 31st because a) It was significantly cheaper and b)....that was literally the only reason. But..I am kind of excited to just have a chill NYE on the plane with some champagne. The best part about this trip is that my parents, sister, AND Kevin are coming along. This is Kevin's first time in Brazil and I can't believe he is finally getting to meet the rest of my family and experience life on my grandmother's farm. Stay tuned because I will DEFINITELY do a blog recap about this trip.

Ok, now for the recipe! For October's #LetsBeRealMeals theme, we decided on Meatless Monday. Meatless Monday is a campaign and global effort to reduce weekly meat consumption around the world. This is better for both the environment and our health. My take on it is that meat is not "bad" for you at all, but having more plant foods is a place where we lack, yet provides so many benefits. Personally, I make plenty of meatless meals each week to save money. Plant-based proteins, like whole grains, beans and legumes, and tofu are significantly cheaper and of course, come with the benefits of fiber.

I decided to show you how to make simple burrito bowls with farro. Have you heard of farro? It's a grain! Kind of chewy like barley. I chose it for this recipe because even though this bowl could easily be made with rice, farro has a bit more fiber and protein per serving which makes it have a bit more staying power. I also love the 10-minute farro from Trader Joe's. It's affordable and is great to have around for easy meals like this!

This recipe was inspired by this one from Cooking Light that I made earlier this year. I also grew up eating rice and beans (a complete protein), so my go-to meatless meals usually involve this type of combo.

To explain what I mean by "complete protein" - there are 9 essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) that we get in our diet. Animal products contain all 9. Most plant proteins do not, unless you combine them with other foods. Grains and beans together are a complete protein, and just so happens to be one of the most widely consumed combos in the world :)

What to do:1.) Bring water to a boil and cook farro per instructions (Add to boiling water then turn heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes, then drain)

2.) Heat up about 3 tbsp avocado oil in a skillet. Add peppers and onions and sauteé about 5 minutes until soft. Season with a few shakes of Chile Lime seasoning. (If you like to measure, about 2 tbsp should be good!) Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.

3.) Rinse black beans and place into a bowl. Add about 1 tbsp of cumin and mix.

4.) Drain cooked farro and then place into a large bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil, juice from one lime, and top with cilantro. Mix it up!

5.) Distribute farro evenly into 4 bowls (or containers if saving for later). Top with divided up beans, peppers and onions. Add about 1/4 cup of cheese and 1/4 cup diced avocado. Lastly, add a dollop of Siggi's. (Note: You can use sour cream if you want! Personally I prefer to use yogurt as a replacement.)

To use less dishes:- Place drained farro back into the pot you cooked it in and mix in the oil, cilantro, and lime juice in thereOr:- Evenly distribute plain farro and then mix in ingredients there. Same thing with the black beans!

Enjoy!

What are your go-to meatless meals? I'd love to know!

BONUS RECIPE:

Last month's theme was APPLES and I totally forgot to share on here. I did share on IG. Here's my video for this super simple panini! If you don't have a panini press, you can make it on the stove top and press it down with a spatula or pan. Yum!